Implementing Conditional Access Policy Assignments is a critical task in managing access and identity within any organization’s IT infrastructure. Microsoft’s SC-300 exam, designed for Identity and Access Administrators, tests the knowledge of candidates on this topic, among others. As an overview, Conditional Access Policies essentially set conditions under which users can or cannot access certain resources.
Understanding Conditional Access Policy Assignments
In Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), you can create Conditional Access policies that apply to specific user roles, devices, applications, or location-based sign-in risks. These policies provide a protective layer that restricts or allows access to resources based on predefined conditions.
For example, you can create a policy that requires users to provide additional authentication (like multi-factor authentication), when they try to access sensitive resources outside of your organization’s trusted network locations.
Implementing Conditional Access Policy Assignments
To implement Conditional Access policy assignments, follow the below steps:
- Sign in to the Azure portal.
- Choose Azure Active Directory, then Conditional Access.
- Choose New policy and provide a suitable name.
- In the Assignments section, choose Users and groups. Here, you can specify the users and groups you want this policy to apply to.
- In the same Assignments section, choose Cloud apps or actions. Specify the applications or actions this policy will affect.
- In the Conditions section, specify the conditions under which your policy will come into effect.
- In the Access controls section, specify what the users need to do to get access, like requiring multi-factor authentication.
- Finally, enable the policy and choose Create to create the policy.
The details for each step will depend on your specific organizational needs and access control policies.
Example of a Conditional Access Policy Assignment
Here’s a practical example: let’s consider we want to add extra security for the HR department due to the sensitivity of data they handle. We want to ensure they provide extra authentication when they access from any location outside the local office.
In this case, a Conditional Access policy could look like this:
- Users and groups: HR-Department
- Cloud apps or actions: All cloud apps
- Conditions: Any location excluding Trusted Locations
- Access controls: Require multi-factor authentication
- Enable policy: On
This policy will ensure that whenever someone from HR tries to access cloud apps from an untrusted location, they will be prompted for multi-factor authentication.
Key Decisions
When implementing Conditional Access policy assignments, it’s important to make the right decisions for configurations. Table 1 provides a comparison of the key decisions:
Table 1: Decision points for Conditional Access policy assignments
| Decision Point | Options |
|---|---|
| Users and groups | All, Select users and groups, None |
| Cloud applications or actions | All, Select cloud applications, None |
| Conditions | Device platform, Locations, Client apps, Device state, Sign-in risk, User risk |
| Access controls | Grant access: Require multi-factor authentication, Require device to be marked as compliant, Require Hybrid Azure AD joined device, Require approved client app, Require app protection policy. Block access. |
| Enable policy | On, Off, Report-only mode |
In summary, preparing for the SC-300 Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator exam can greatly benefit from understanding and implementing Conditional Access policy assignments. It’s an essential skill for implementing and managing identity and access control within an organization’s IT infrastructure.
Practice Test
True or False: Conditional Access policies are enforced after first-factor authentication is completed.
- True
- False
Answer: True.
Explanation: Conditional Access policies are always implemented post-first-factor authentication, providing a further layer of security.
In creating Conditional Access policies, you can specify a list of users to whom the policy applies. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: True.
Explanation: When creating a Conditional Access policy, you can select users and groups to whom the policy applies.
Conditional Access Policies can be created without defining any conditions at all. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: False.
Explanation: Conditions must be defined when creating Conditional Access Policies. These conditions consist of the parameters that will trigger the policy.
Which of the following can be selected as conditions for a Conditional Access policy?
- a) Device platforms
- b) Client apps
- c) Risk level
- d) Locations
Answer: All of the above.
Explanation: All of these are potential conditions that can be defined for a Conditional Access policy.
When it comes to using sign-in risk policies in Conditional Access, you have to have Azure AD Premium P2 license to enable them. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: True.
Explanation: A premium P2 license is required to enable and use the sign-in risk policy.
What can be done under the “Grant” controls of a Conditional Access policy?
- a) Require multi-factor authentication
- b) Require device to be marked as compliant.
- c) Block access.
- d) Require approved client app.
Answer: All of the above.
Explanation: All the listed actions could be implemented as a ‘Grant’ control in a Conditional Access Policy.
True or False: A Conditional Access policy requires an Azure AD Premium P1 license.
- True
- False
Answer: True.
Explanation: Azure AD Premium P1 license provides Conditional Access policy feature to help secure access to cloud applications.
What is the purpose of the “Session” control feature in a Conditional Access policy?
- a) To terminate active sessions.
- b) To restrict the duration of sessions.
- c) To limit certain app features.
- d) To define sign-in frequency.
Answer: To limit certain app features.
Explanation: The “Session” controls give ability to limit the functionality within the app session.
Which protocol does Conditional Access App Control use to redirect the user’s access request?
- a) https.
- b) Reverse proxy.
- c) TLS.
- d) SMTP.
Answer: Reverse proxy.
Explanation: Conditional Access App Control uses reverse proxy architecture to redirect users’ access requests.
Single sign-on can be enforced through Conditional Access. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: False.
Explanation: Conditional Access helps to provide more secure access, but it doesn’t provide single sign-on capabilities.
True or False: If multiple Conditional Access policies apply to a scenario, only the most restrictive policy is enforced?
- True
- False
Answer: True.
Explanation: If multiple policies apply, the access request must comply with all of them, not just the most restrictive.
Interview Questions
What is the primary function of a conditional access policy in Microsoft Azure?
The primary function of a conditional access policy in Microsoft Azure is to secure and manage access to cloud apps. This is accomplished through enforcing certain conditions or requirements before a user can get access to cloud resources.
What does a Conditional Access policy consist of?
A Conditional Access policy consists of two main components: conditions (such as user or group, sign-in risk, device platform, location, client apps) and access controls (such as block access or grant access if the user meets certain requirements).
What type of scenarios can you manage with conditional access policy assignments?
Conditional access policy assignments can manage various scenarios such as multi-factor authentication requirements, block access by risky users or locations, require device compliance for mobile app access, or limit access to managed devices only.
Can you name some of the common signals evaluated by a Conditional Access policy?
The common signals evaluated by a Conditional Access policy include user group membership, IP location information, device state, sign-in risk, application, and real-time device-based risk assessments.
What types of conditional access control decisions can administrators implement?
Administrators can implement two types of control decisions: grant access control (e.g., require multi-factor authentication) and block access control, to completely prevent access under specified conditions.
What is the default state of a conditional access policy once created?
The default state of a conditional access policy once created is “Report-only mode”. It allows you to understand the impact of your policy without enforcing it.
Which Azure AD feature can be used to protect against risky sign-ins?
The Azure AD Identity Protection feature can be used to protect against risky sign-ins. It identifies sign-ins that are at risk of being compromised based on various signals and behavior analytics.
Does Azure AD Conditional Access provide session controls?
Yes, Azure AD Conditional Access does provide session controls. These controls use the power of cloud apps, like Microsoft 365 cloud app security, to offer real-time, granular controls over access and actions within your cloud environment.
What is the requirement to use conditional access?
The use of conditional access requires an Azure AD Premium P1 or Azure AD Premium P2 license.
Can you implement location-based conditional access policy with Azure?
Yes, administrators can implement location-based conditional access policies with Azure. Administrators can define trusted locations based on IP address ranges, and then configure a policy that enforces different controls for access attempts from trusted locations and untrusted locations.
Are there any exceptions to Conditional Access policies?
Yes, emergency access or “break-glass” accounts are typically excluded from Conditional Access policies. This ensures that these high-privileged accounts can always sign in.
How can an administrator test a Conditional Access policy?
Administrators can test a Conditional Access policy by enabling the “Report-only” mode during initial testing. This mode logs the effects of the policy without actively enforcing it, allowing administrators to see what would happen if the policy were enforced.
What is the ‘Conditions’ portion of a Conditional Access policy?
The ‘Conditions’ portion of a Conditional Access policy specifies the users, regions, devices, and applications to which the policy applies.
Can Conditional Access policies be set at a device level?
Yes, Conditional Access policies can be set at a device level. Administrators can set policies that apply to specific device platforms or based on whether a device is marked as compliant with your organization’s rules.
Is it possible to simulate a sign-in event to test Conditional Access policies?
Yes, with Azure AD’s “What If” tool, it is possible to simulate sign-in scenarios to understand how Conditional Access policies would impact an access attempt.
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